1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to flower and flag displays in cemeteries, and more particularly, to a combination cemetery vase and flag holder adapter that attaches to the mounting ring of an invertible type cemetery vase and holds the invertible vase in an upright or inverted position and has a laterally spaced aperture for mounting the flagstaff of a flag.
2. Background Art
It is common practice to place wreaths, potted plants, cut flowers, and flags on and around graves and burial areas in remembrance of deceased persons. The prior art discloses various flower vases for use in cemeteries that can be inverted and stored in an underground receptacle or canister. These types of vases are known as “cemetery vases” or “memorial vases”. A common invertible vase and storage structure of the prior art consists of a receptacle or canister that may be permanently installed in a hole in a gravestone and is surrounded at its top end by collar or mounting ring. The collar or mounting ring has a central aperture surrounded by a series of circumferentially spaced curved slots with an opening at one end. The cemetery vase has a circular base with a series of circumferentially spaced protruding lugs that are placed into the openings in the mounting ring the vase is rotated to engage the lugs into the curved slots of the mounting ring. The vase can be removed by reversing the procedure, and can be stored in the receptacle or canister with its open end facing down by inverting the vase and again inserting the protruding lugs into the openings in the mounting ring and rotating the vase to engage the lugs into the curved slots of the mounting ring.
Some examples of this type of structure are disclosed in the following U.S. patents: Vanderveer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,276,749, Meierjohna et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,488,924, Rasmussen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,754,625, Rettman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,052,065, King, U.S. Pat. No. 3,229,948, Newman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,914, Gordon et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,434,235, and Birkmeir, U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,254.
Another commercially available invertible cemetery vase of the type described above is known as the “Veteran Bronze Grecian Vase” manufactured by the Bronze Division of Matthews International Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pa.
Flags that are placed close to the gravestone are typically installed by merely pushing the flagstaff into the ground adjacent to the gravestone and are often blown over due to heavy wind and become inadvertently lost or not replaced by cemetery workers during grass cutting, excavation or other maintenance work.
Sweeney, U.S. Pat. No. 2,148,660 discloses a memorial tablet having a flag holder mounted on the rear for receiving a flag staff.
Yerger, U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,110 discloses a decorative grave marker comprising a one-piece molded rigid plastic assembly with an embossed decorative metalized legend on the front surface and four axially aligned bosses on the rear surface adapted for securely mounting the marker to a ground support rod and for support of a removable flagstaff.
Sittner, U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,911 discloses a grave marker and lighting apparatus having an interchangeable illuminated form which may in the form of a lighted candle, a lighted Christmas tree, a lighted floral arrangement, a lighted flag, or any other illuminated form to commemorate an occasion or season. The apparatus includes a base plate extension mounting portion for attachment to a tombstone and base extending anchors for ground securing.